My Beast in Shining Beauty
by Light Bearer Lucifer
Summary: After ten years of waiting for a girl and searching for a woman, he found her. A bloodied rose growing amidst the nightshade of a decaying wasteland is how he had found her, yet he has at long last found his champion. His beast in shining beauty. JS
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own the Labyrinth and therefore do not take credit for its creation, I leave that up to Henson, and any references shall be acknowledged.**

**My Beast in Shining Beauty**

The colours flared out and creased as bodies moved in tightly coiled twists appearing like winding camisoles as the heavily embroidered skirts flowed to full circle, only to be obstructed by tightly clothed, linen covered limbs. Neatly polished knee high boots moved in succession with dainty slipper clad feet, glass heels rapping against the marble floor in precise time to a haunting melody that echoed about the room. The movement was nauseating and the colours overly splendid in the glamour of other worldly creatures, yet all was dismissed as eyes were drawn elsewhere. At the centre of the room stood a lone, crude figure encased in metal, an ageing crown sat atop their brow in a timeless fashion of beauty; the beast of beauty. The outward blemish of a glamorous creature was consumed by the image that the stranger wrought, among the lies of his inherited court. It appeared to him that they had no gender, no power to bend the laws around them, but one shocking comparison, they had no time.

The blemish blinked in a slurred manner, as the patterns of his people where delayed by the protraction of time and the strange beast moved towards him in a manner not unlike one would stalk prey. Metal scales retracted and the deepest pools of the darkest green ocean peered out to cry at him as fingers reached up and slowly turned to stone. Blinking, the statue of a maiden appeared before him, crowned in her glory an unmistakable mortal of great power was revealed as the last of the armour dispersed. Beauty is the beast.

**Chapter 1**

She blinked owlishly for a moment and then once again looked through the scope. It didn't piece together and for the third time that evening she questioned herself about whether the coordinates for the mark had been correct. Sighing she fished for her binoculars, blindly pawing for the familiar plastic and metal contraption. Grunting as she stubbed her fingers she finally pulled the equipment to eye level and scanned the surrounding area. Spying a fellow officer a hundred yards away, she followed through with a wider sweep of the area and came up blank. Something felt very wrong and the hairs on the back of her neck weren't the only things telling her so. Static overtook her fear as a voice came over the wireless; it was Dave a fellow comrade joking about missing the super bowl for a little roof top sunbathing. She was about to retort when a movement was caught out the corner of her eye and the binoculars were brought around to locate the missing mark. Sliding the binoculars back along the roof beside her, she readjusted the riffle until the target could be traced through the scope.

"Williams, what's your position?" keeping a steady hand Sarah watched the target as it began to move and brought the wireless radio to her mouth.

"Target is within range and on the move sir, awaiting or-." Frowning she brought the binoculars up for a wider view and froze.

"Jesus Christ, Williams get yourself out of there now!" Cursing she re-aimed the riffle, ignoring the yelling of her fellow comrades and superior over the radio, and began weighing up her options. If she timed it right she just might not be blown to pieces.

"Williams?!" The target paused briefly and her finger curled around the trigger and squeezed.

Not caring to see if she met the mark, she ran to the edge of the roof as a series of explosions went off sending shockwaves through the building that she occupied. She was thrown from the building where she collided with the balcony of the neighbouring one. Ignoring the shards of glass that penetrated the canvas of her pants, from the now broken glass table that once decorated the patio, she reached for the Beretta holstered at her hip and rolled up into a crouched position. Assessing that she had not been seen she moved through the apartment at a hurried pace, ignoring the startled tenants, and made her way to the old paint peeled stair well. Rebounding off walls she catapulted down the shaft at a rapid pace, her breathing became laboured and the darkness began to ebb at the edges of her vision as the flakes of old paint showered her now worn body. Adrenaline being the only thing keeping her alive she launched herself into the daylight where she came to a stumbling halt in front of her enemy.

Sarah's body lurched as a slight line of smoke left the barrel and a searing pain ripped through her torso. Wavering, the ground rose to meet her as her knees gave way to kiss the concrete, and she knelt stunned, eyes unblinking as her hand reached for the wound to smear the rich liquid that ran from it. It didn't register to her that the enemy was down or that her commanding officer was yelling for her to stay with him, with them. All she could do was stare at the man standing across the street, unaffected by the chaos that was war, which surrounded him.

Choking on the blood that rose to pool in her mouth, her eyes widened as her memories finally registered the flamboyant nature of the man from another era, another world. Another race. Light wisps of blonde hair framed a timeless face, that appeared to be carved from alabaster lined with unique markings, and a high collared black cloak consumed his being. The blemish of his half-breed nature peered out at her and he smiled. Time stopped and the darkness took her willingly.

He had finally found her, after ten years of waiting for a girl and searching for a woman, he found her. A bloodied rose growing amidst the nightshade of a decaying wasteland is how he had found her, yet he has at long last found his champion. His beast in shining beauty.

**Thank you for reading all comments and flames will be appreciated.**

**Light Bearer Lucifer**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own the Labyrinth and therefore do not take credit for its creation, I leave that up to Henson, and any references shall be acknowledged.**

**Chapter 2**

Sarah groaned as she came to, her eyes were caked shut by the muck that gathered in her sleep and her muscles had been locked in the same position for so long that moving had become very painful: yet none the less she desired to see life again even if she had to fight for it. Her vision was blurred and hazy by the time she had forced her lids open long enough to make out any shapes, so she wound up resigning herself to more rest. When she once again became conscious her instincts alerted her to the fact that there was another presence in the room, and she wearily cracked an eye open in order to assess her surroundings. The white walls were expected along with the various buzzing machines, that had tubes and cables running to and fro her pron form sprawled across the bed; the gnarled little man that she came face to face with, when she rolled over, however, was not. Sucking in a breath she frowned as the man continued to glare at her, mere inches from the edge of her bed. He couldn't have been any higher than three feet with his abnormally large hands, feet and head. He was tightly wrapped up in an old moth bitten suit ensemble, patches not only at the elbows and knees but also around the collar and pockets too. Tufts of white hair extruded from the patchy holes in his unravelling woollen hat and his beady little eyes poked out from under the rim, becoming more prominent with the tell tale signs of crows feet in the corners of his eyes. A sign of a life filled with laughter, although he didn't look to be laughing now. Backing up just a little bit she ran her eyes over him trying to place where he was from, he sure as hell wasn't in the army with her, and she was pretty sure this was their first encounter. He opened parched lips and a gruff voice startled her from her thoughts.

"Yer made a right mess of things 'aven't ye." She opened her mouth to retort when he raced on over the top of her, making himself be heard as he rightly thought he should be.

"Ye drew a lot of unwanted attention with that little stunt ye last pulled. The higher ups are looing for ya they are, so yer play time be over now that it does." His rambling made little sense to her as the only thing that registered in her recovering mind was the conclusion that she was being scolded by a man half her size. Sarah wasn't one to normally take offence but the little half pike was really starting to great on her nerves.

"Excuse me but who exactly are you?" His mouth snapped shut and he grumbled under his breath about 'stupid Weylin sending me when he should 'ave come himself, he should 'ave.'

"Ye ain't got yer memories back 'ave ye." She was about to ask what memories when Dave stumbled through the door and the dwarf vanished. Sarah stared at the spot for a few more moments before slowly turning her gaze to Dave who was staring at her dumbfounded before his face cracked into a wide grin. Sticking his head out the door again he hollered down the hallway that she was awake, and a stampede could be heard making its way towards her room. Two more of her fellow comrades burst into the room to launch themselves onto her bed where they attempted to smother her.

"Sarah!"

"Your alive!"

"IT"S A MIRACLE!" Groaning from the weight and the pain that washed over her she caught Dave's eye and silently pleaded to be saved. Dave's blue eyes were silently laughing at her as he scrubbed a hand through shaggy blond locks and hollered for the others to give her some room.

"Jesus Williams, I haven't seen anything like it! Are you wonder woman or something?" Chris, a man with very little brains and a little more charm, he had such a wonderful way with words he tended to lighten the atmosphere my walking into a room, until he happened to open his mouth of course. Jaz was snickering behind him, and thinking the spotlight was of him begun to inch towards the neglected green jello. The weed of a man may have had a bottomless pit for a stomach, but he was the brains of their little outfit, and could talk his was out of a paper bag under fire.

Slapping Jaz's hand, Sarah questioning gaze turned to Dave.

"What happened out there?" Everyone fell silent as three pairs of eyes bored into her as if they had heard something strange. Chris appeared to be the only one with a voice.

"We were hoping you could tell us Sarah." They all became restless as her brows lowered into a frown.

"What?"

"You should be dead. You were shot at point blank, and no one can understand how you're alive. It really is a miracle Sarah." Catching her fingers in the sheet she began to twist knots as her confused gaze pinned Dave.

I was strange how one incident could cause someone to resort to old habits, and knotting her fingers in whatever she could get her hands on was the most visible one she had for her nerves. It started as a twitch as she neared her sixteenth birthday. The tighter her fingers were wrapped up, the more pain she felt, which resulted in a rush of adrenaline through her system as her fingers would loose circulation. When her theatre grew dull in her eyes and lost its sense of adventure, this became a last resort to gain any thrill in her mundane life as this borderline ecstasy kept her calm. It was an orientation week in her final year of school that changed her habit and her career since she was introduced to the army. The rush she got from forcing herself through obstacles and false gunfire evoked such a thrill that it was almost like running her dreams all over again. Her self inflicted pain stopped, and Sarah emersed herself in field operations that kept her on the edge of an adventure. Twenty-three and one of the best in her occupation, it was a strange sight to see her so worked up by something as simple as life and death. Especially when she lived with death surrounding her.

Sitting on the edge of the bed Dave pulled her hands away from the sheets and looked at her with worry in his eyes.

"Sarah?" _The blemish of his half-breed nature peered out at her and he smiled. _What had he done?

**Thank you for reading all comments and flames will be appreciated.**

**Light Bearer Lucifer**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own the Labyrinth and therefore do not take credit for its creation, I leave that up to Henson, and any references shall be acknowledged.**

**Chapter 3**

Her comrades had not stayed long and deserted her after they realized that she didn't plan on talking. She was left to ponder her position when the dwarf returned, a knap sack in hand and a scowl still marring his face. They paused to wearily watch each other for a moment before the dwarf broke the silence by grumbling and tossing the knap sack at her. Deftly catching the bag, Sarah flipped the flap to reveal its contents and a confused frown constructed in her features. A meadow green, peasant blouse wrapped in a black leather doublet tumbled from the sack to reveal a pair of chocolate leather boots and black riding breeches. She eyed the clothing with distaste and glanced up to see the dwarf now carrying a finely furnished sword to which she snorted in amusement.

"Are we going somewhere sir knight?' The sarcasm could not be missed as it dripped generously from her lips. The dwarf just stepped closer and placed the blade down on the end of the bed, waiting for her to react. When she didn't make a move he decided to move a little closer and in a hushed tone spoke.

"We 'aven't got time ye 'ere, put 'em clothes on an' we be on our way." Nodding for good measure he turned away to give her some privacy. She just blinked at the hight challenged little man and started laughing.

"I'm not going anywhere. Did the Goblin King put you up to this, because I wont be playing any more of his games so he can just sod off." Getting angry now she began stuffing the clothes back into the bag, missing the dwarfs startled look as she mentioned a fae king. A gnarled hand gripped her wrist and she looked up into panicked eyes.

"If ye seen 'im then they cant be far behind, 'em others, yer running out of time, ye not safe anymore." She could see honesty in his eye along with a deep-rooted fear that convinced her to shake her head and wave him away as she cursed her instinct to give aid where needed resulted by her general curiosity. When he finally turned around again she took several moments to struggle free from the bed, conscious of the fact that most of the pain had left her body. When she had finally righted herself, Sarah went about emptying the bag of its contents and began to change. Dressed in all but the boots she grumbled to the dwarf that she was decent, and began stuffing the satchel with belongings. Draws were yanked open to be emptied and just as viscously slammed shut as a change of clothes, her favourite semi-automatic, and an ageing picture was shoved ungracefully into the sack. She began talking to the dwarf as she pulled the knee-high boots on.

"So are you going to tell me who 'they' are and where we're going?" Her face was passive as she reached for the blade at the end of her bed and strapped it to the sack.

"Not until we be somewhere safe." Nodding something caught her eye and snatching the object up she motioned to the dwarf that she was ready.

"At least tell me your name." He reached into a little pouch he kept at his waist and pulled out a handful of dust as he grabbed her hand.

"I be Lorcán." They vanished.

"_Name?" The voice that ripped to the core of his tiny body was commanding in every meaning of the word, and he dropped to his knees as the beings gaze came to fix unwavering on his prone form._

"_I be Lorcán yer majesty." The tip of a masterfully crafted blade came to rest beneath his chin, and the application of pressure forced him to look up into a face of cold iron._

"_And why, is it that you are, here?" He quaked in the face of power as a great, scaled beast joined it with nostrils flaring. The blade remained at his throat and a hand reached up to tame the muzzle of the winged creature._

"_To pledge me loyalty." Impressed, the sword was sheathed and the armoured body lowered to his level. Eyes scrutinized his being and a sharp nod allowed him to breath a little easier._

"_To whom do you pledge your loyalty? What is your purpose?" A long fingered hand reached up and curled around his left shoulder._

"_To fight and die by your side, I am loyal only to you… My Queen."_

Sarah retched as soon as the world stopped spinning and dropped to her knees in thanks for once again being placed on solid ground. She never desired to do that again and cursed Lorcán to hell and back for not warning her. When she final composed herself she was prodded by the small man to stand up, and froze at the sight that she was greeted with.

The ruins of a sandstone castle bowed before them as little more than the foundations remained. Spires struggled to reach for the sky as monstrous trees surpassed them. Poison oak and ivy attempted to strangle the timeworn stone, and remains of banners were little more then brittle rags. Sarah could tell that it had once been a most cherished place, yet it had lost its battle to time. It had been slowly forgotten, only to be buried beneath the land. Lorcán continued to prod her along the coble stone path leading up to the once grand doors that no longer stood to bar ones path.

Almost in a stupor they arrive at the remains of a ballroom and Sarah was welcomed with the sight of various mythical creatures all silently waiting, watching. They varied widely in sizes and species as she spied elfs and dryads, fairies and drwaves, she even though she saw a goblin or two, and all of them watched her in the same fascinated fashion as she watched them. One of the more human looking of the creatures approached her and she assumed the man was fae as she eyed him with caution. He was tall and built well with high cheekbones and arched eyebrows. His hair fell delicately about in dark waves, a strong contrast to his silver eyes. He smiled at her in and unthreatening manor and bowed low before her. She watched horrified as the rest of the room followed the example and fell to their knees as she heard the man murmur.

"Welcome home."

**Thank you for reading all comments and flames will be appreciated.**

**Light Bearer Lucifer**


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own the Labyrinth and therefore do not take credit for its creation, I leave that up to Henson, and any references shall be acknowledged.**

**Chapter 4**

_It began in the time before the great separation. When the timeless lived among the mortal and magic was apart of life. For years they lived in a tranquil piece, a harmony of life and death, but there were those who sought to destroy it and tore the world in two. The mortal humans inhabited the Aboveground; the immortal Faerie court inhabited the Underground, and a great gate to divide the two. With time the Fae began to grow vain in their glamour and sought to destroy the mortal race, which they saw as inferior, by venturing through the gate. War ensued and out of its chaos rose a warrior. Cloaked in iron it defended the above and all that pledged their loyalty unto it. They suppressed the magic and forced it from the moral earth, cursing the immortal to never walk Above again. There was but one to whom they blessed the walking between worlds, and with it an army of forgotten souls that died as the magic forced them home. They were crowned king and given a vast land on the border of the gate to protect. The warrior disappeared and out of the mist grew a queen, a protector of the between, the keeper of safe passage. Peace ensured until the king took advantage of his gift and spawned an heir through the vessel of a mortal princess. Outraged the Above declared war and the two sides marched to the gate. In a vain attempt to save himself, the king declared the child unwanted and fled from the grounds he had been bestowed. Outraged, the queen bequeathed a curse upon his line and all that followed it. All children to be left forgotten and wished away were to be taken in by the ruler, and cared for like their own. Following this curse she sealed the gate, preventing the war, and she was eternally bound in stone. She erected a great wall of stone and twisting tunnels, so that only the worthy would be able to pass. The half-breed heir took the thrown and bore the mistake of two sides of one world, only to be accompanied by an iron statue._

As the newly, introduced Weylin ended the story Sarah looked upon him with an incredulous frown and slumped back in the chair upon which she had been seated for the last hour.

"As tragic as that tale is, you have failed to answer my question and tell me why I am here, or where I am for that matter." Huffing her steely gaze flicked back up to eye the man who seemed far to relaxed to be conversing with an angry mortal equipped with enough ammunition, should she somehow miss the close range target, to send him into a lot of pain.

"Yes well I was just getting to that, you say that you've seen the Goblin King?" Grunting she waved him to continue with an affirmative shack of the head.

"Well the conclusion that has been met is that you are, well that you're the mist spawn queen." He flinched as the last of the words left his mouth and waited for her to blow up. He expected anything from her except for the one thing she did, she laughed.

"So let me get this straight, you've kidnapped me from my world because, you, think that I'm some fairytale Queen. And why prey tell," Her voice lowed to a deadly pitch and she grabbed Weylin by the front of his shirt to bring him with-in inches of her face.

"Would you think that?" Incapable of finding his voice for a moment that room was silent.

"The labyrinth and its king are one, if he is looking for you then the sprit that inhabited the stone has left, and the kingdom is with out a safe guard. Not only that but there are others who seek your power and are willing to wage war upon the Goblin Kingdom in order to obtain it, Danu only knows what would happen should they find you in the flesh." Thrusting him backwards, Sarah stood as he almost toppled from the chair, and began walking towards the door.

"It sounds like a load of bullshit to me." Weylin's voice rang out solidly and she froze.

"It would explain why you are still alive, would it not?" Snarling she turned around to slam her palms down on the table that consumed a vast amount of the room.

"Alright then, say I am who you think I am, what do you want from me?"

"There is a war coming. We only ask that you once again protect those who you took into your care those many years ago." Sarah watched as Weylin fell to his knees, followed closely by Lorcán and the rest of the inhabitants of the room. Slowly she stood up straighter and turned to look at the one who was now standing behind her.

_He bore the beauty of his mother and the strength of his father, the vanity of a king and the carefree will of a royal child. He bore one cobalt eye and one russet, blight to both lines of heritage, and a reminder of the curse he now conveys._

The Goblin King stood before her, proud but weary as he watched her with sad eyes. A rumpled black poet shirt hung from his frame and a leather jerkin wrapped itself about it, to stop it from falling from his thinning body. A pair of black riding breeches adorned his legs, disappearing into worn knee high, leather boots, and black gloves encased his hands.

As he took a step towards her she took a step back and watched as a light smirk curled at the edge of his mouth.

"How do I know that this isn't a trick? How do I know that you're not lying to me?" The smirk deepened and he gestured towards her.

"You are standing here alive and well are you not?" Sarah flinched and backed up further racking her brain for a retort, trying to find the falseness in his words.

"Sarah, had this been a lie, I can assure you, you would be dead."

**Thank you for reading all comments and flames will be appreciated.**

**Light Bearer Lucifer**


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